Biking in Shanghai is Awesome, Here’s How

Shanghai’s streets are crazy busy, lol. Seriously, it’s a whole vibe. You’ve got people rushing to work, scooters zipping by silently like little ninjas, and just tons and tons of bikes. The brightest things you’ll see are all the colorful shared bikes parked everywhere, lined up like little soldiers ready for action. The city is totally obsessed with them, and for good reason. For anyone visiting, these bikes are the absolute best way to get around. It’s not just about getting from point A to point B; it’s how you really get to see the real Shanghai. You can cruise down a massive, futuristic boulevard one minute and then take a turn into a tiny, quiet lane where grandmas are hanging out laundry the next. It’s way more fun than being stuck in a taxi, super cheap, and you can explore all the cool spots, from the super-fancy, glittering Bund to the chill, tree-lined streets in the old French Concession.

It wasn’t always this easy, though. A few years back, it was pure chaos. There was this crazy “bike war” thing where a bunch of startup companies just dumped literally millions of bikes on the streets, hoping to win. It was a total mess. This led to the infamous “bicycle graveyards” – seriously, look up the pictures, it’s wild. We’re talking about massive fields, bigger than football stadiums, filled with mountains of broken and abandoned bikes. The government had to step in and clean things up, big time. Now, it’s all organized and run by three big companies, and the system actually works great.

If you’re not from around here, it might look kinda complicated with all the apps and Chinese payment stuff. But don’t worry, it’s actually pretty easy if you prep a little. Think of it like a video game: you just have to get through the tutorial level first. So, this guide is basically everything you need to know, from start to finish. No stress.

Part 1: First Things First - Getting Your Phone Ready

Okay, listen up, ‘cause this is the most important part. I can’t stress this enough. You HAVE TO get your phone sorted before you even touch a bike. Everything runs on apps and mobile payments in China, so you can’t skip this step. Forgetting this is like trying to go on a road trip with no gas in the car.

The Big Three Bike Companies

When you’re walking around Shanghai, you’ll see three main colors of bikes. Each color is a different company, and they all have their own personality.

  • Meituan Bike (美团单车): The yellow ones. They’re everywhere, like dandelions. Meituan is a huge app for food delivery and pretty much everything else, and they bought out the OG bike company, Mobike. These are the workhorses of the city.
  • Hello Bike (哈啰单车): The blue ones. These are probably your best bet as a foreigner. They work super smoothly with Alipay, which is a total lifesaver. They often feel a bit newer and better maintained, too.
  • DiDi Qingju (滴滴青桔): The green ones. DiDi is like the Uber of China, so it makes sense they have bikes too. They’re solid, reliable, and a great option if you’re already using the DiDi app for rides.

Gotta Get Alipay, It’s Your Golden Ticket

Before you even think about bikes, you need a Chinese payment app. Seriously, you can’t do anything without one. Cash is basically a museum piece here. You can use WeChat Pay, but just get Alipay. Trust me on this. It’s way easier for foreigners, has a much better English interface, and the sign-up is less of a headache. The whole bike system depends on it. No Alipay, no bike. Simple as that.

Here’s how to set it up from your couch at home:

  1. Get it before you go: Go to your app store and download “Alipay.” Make sure it’s the international version. Do this before your trip, like, a week or two before, so you have plenty of time.
  2. Sign up: Open the app and sign up with your regular phone number from home. They’ll text you a code to make sure it’s you.
  3. Prove you’re you: This is a security thing. They’ll ask you to verify your identity. You just need to take a clear pic of your passport info page. Make sure there’s no glare and all the numbers are readable, or they’ll reject it and you’ll have to do it again.
  4. Add your card: Go into the settings and add your credit or debit card from home. Visa and Mastercard work fine. This links your money to the app.
  5. Wait a bit: Getting verified isn’t always instant. It can take a few hours or even a couple of days. That’s why you HAVE to do this before you leave home. I’m not kidding. Don’t be that person who lands and realizes they can’t do anything. Make sure it’s all good to go before you land.

Getting the Bike Apps to Work

Once Alipay is working, you can finally get to the bikes. You can either download each company’s main app or just use the “mini-programs” inside Alipay, which is way, way easier.

The Easy Way (Seriously, Just Do This)

For a quick trip, the absolute easiest way is to use the Hello Bike thingy inside Alipay. A “mini-program” is basically a little app that runs inside a bigger app, so you don’t have to download anything extra. It just uses the info you already verified in Alipay, so you can usually skip signing up for another thing.

  • Just open Alipay, find a blue Hello Bike, and scan the QR code on it.
  • The first time, Alipay will ask if it’s cool to open the Hello Bike mini-program and share your info.
  • Say yes, and you’re pretty much ready to ride. Boom. Done in 30 seconds.

The Other Options

If you really wanna use the yellow or green bikes, you’ll have to download their main apps.

  • Get the “Meituan (美团)” app for yellow bikes or “DiDi (滴滴出行)” for green ones.
  • You’ll have to sign up again with your phone number.
  • Then you’ll have to verify your passport again in each app. Annoying, right?
  • Then you link your Alipay account for payment.
  • Honestly, it can be a bit of a pain. People say these apps can be fussy with foreign passports, and Meituan’s app is mostly in Chinese. The Alipay/Hello Bike combo is just smoother and built for tourists.

Part 2: Alright, Let’s Actually Ride a Bike

Got your phone set up? Cool. The rest is super easy and actually fun.

Finding a Bike

In the main parts of Shanghai, bikes are literally everywhere, so you won’t have to look far. But if you wanna be sure, the apps have a map that shows you where the closest bikes are in real-time. This map is also super important for parking later, so get used to looking at it. You’ll find huge clusters of them near subway stations and shopping malls.

Scanning the QR Code to Unlock

This part is like magic, it feels so futuristic the first time you do it.

  1. Open your app (like the Hello Bike mini-program in Alipay).
  2. Hit the big “Scan” button. Your camera will turn on.
  3. Point it at the QR code on the bike’s handlebars or back fender.
  4. Wait like, two seconds, and you’ll hear a click and a little electronic whirring sound. The lock on the back wheel will pop open.

What if it doesn’t work?

  • No unlock? Make sure your Bluetooth is on and you have internet. If it still won’t open, the bike might be busted or out of battery. Don’t waste time on it; just grab a different one. There are plenty.
  • QR code messed up? If it’s all scratched and your camera can’t read it, some apps let you type in the bike’s number, which is usually printed right below the code. There’s also usually a flashlight button in the app if it’s dark out.

How to Not Crash

Before you take off, give the bike a quick 5-second check. Squeeze the brakes, see if the tires are flat, and fix the seat height (there’s a simple lever). Shanghai has awesome, wide bike lanes, but you’ll be sharing them with a billion electric scooters, delivery guys going at lightning speed, and other cyclists.

  • Stay on the right side. This is the #1 rule.
  • Follow the traffic lights, duh. The police do give out tickets for this.
  • Use the bell! Let people know you’re there, especially when you’re passing them.
  • Don’t run over pedestrians. And try not to ride on super crowded sidewalks; it’s rude and you’ll just get stuck. Watch out for people stepping into the bike lane without looking.

Parking and Paying

Ending your ride right is super important. The timer doesn’t stop, and you’ll keep getting charged, until you manually lock the bike in a proper parking spot.

  • Just push the lever on the lock over the back wheel down until it clicks firmly into place. You’ll hear another electronic sound confirming it’s locked.
  • Your app will instantly send you a notification that your ride has ended, showing you how long you rode and how much it cost. It’ll take the money right from your Alipay. Easy peasy.

Part 3: How Much is This Gonna Cost Me?

Good news: biking in Shanghai is crazy cheap. It costs less than a bottle of water. Especially if you get a pass.

Paying by the Ride

If you’re just taking one or two rides, you can pay as you go. It’s perfect for a spontaneous little trip.

  • It’s usually 1.5 RMB for the first 15 minutes.
  • Then it’s another 1.0 RMB for every 15 minutes after that.
  • So a 30-minute ride is about 2.5 RMB. That’s like, 40 cents in US dollars. Super cheap.

Pro Tip: Get a Pass

If you’re gonna be riding more than twice a day, just buy a pass. It’s a no-brainer. You pay one small fee upfront and get unlimited rides for a certain period. Each ride can be up to 2 hours long before they charge you extra, which is more than enough.

The prices change all the time and there are always deals, but they’re always a steal:

  • Meituan / Hello Bike: A 30-day pass is usually around 17 to 25 RMB. A 7-day pass is even cheaper.
  • Sometimes you can find a promotional 7-day pass for like, 2-7 RMB. It’s insane.

Think about it: one 30-minute ride is 2.5 RMB. A 7-day pass for 7 RMB pays for itself after just three short rides. The first thing you should do after you’re all set up is go into the app’s “wallet” section and buy a pass that matches your trip length.

Table: Cost Breakdown - Ride vs. Pass (2024 Guess-timates)

Company One 30-min Ride 7-Day Pass (ish) 30-Day Pass (ish) How many rides ‘til it’s worth it? (7-Day)
Meituan 2.5 RMB 7 - 15 RMB 18 - 35 RMB 3 - 6
Hello Bike 2.5 RMB 5 - 10 RMB 17 - 25 RMB 2 - 4
DiDi 2.5 RMB Whatever the deal is Whatever the deal is idk, depends
Seriously, check the app for the real price. It changes.        

Part 4: The #1 Rule: Parking is a BIG Deal Now

This is the biggest change from the old days: you can’t just leave your bike anywhere anymore. They are super strict about this now, and your phone will know if you mess up. This is how they stopped the city from being buried in bikes.

You Can’t Just Park Anywhere Anymore

You HAVE TO park the bike in a special designated spot. If you don’t, you can’t end your ride and you’ll get fined. They use GPS to track it, so there’s no cheating. The app literally won’t let you end the trip if you’re in a no-parking zone.

Look for the white painted boxes on the sidewalk. That’s where the bikes are supposed to go. Sometimes it’s a full rectangle, other times it’s just two parallel lines. You’ll see them everywhere, especially near subway stations, bus stops, and big intersections. Often, you’ll see a bunch of bikes already neatly parked there.

Your App is Your Best Friend for Parking

The map in the app is the final word on where to park. It’s your parking bible.

  • Good spots: The map will show you parking zones, usually with a ‘P’ icon or shaded in a blue or green color. Aim for those. If you’re a block away, it’s worth the walk to get to a proper spot.
  • Bad spots: The map will also show you no-parking zones in red or gray. If you try to lock your bike there, the app will yell at you with a pop-up message and keep charging you money until you move it.

Don’t Get Fined!

They will fine you automatically if you mess up. The app will just take the money.

  • Parking in the wrong spot: You’ll get hit with a “vehicle management fee” or “dispatch fee” of 5 to 20 RMB.
  • Leaving the bike way out of bounds: If you leave the bike in the middle of nowhere, way outside the service area on the map, you’ll get a way bigger fee.

Part 5: So, Which App is Best?

They all work, but for foreigners, one is clearly the winner for being the least stressful.

Which one’s easiest for us non-locals?

  • Hello Bike (in Alipay): The undisputed champ for tourists. It’s just so easy. It uses your Alipay verification, so it’s one less thing to worry about. The whole process is smooth as silk. Just do it.
  • DiDi Qingju (in the DiDi App): A pretty good second choice. The main DiDi app (for cars) has great English. If you’re gonna be using DiDi for taxis anyway, it’s super convenient to have the bike option right there in the same app.
  • Meituan: The hard one. The Meituan app is a monster “super-app” designed for people who live in China. It’s an overwhelming wall of Chinese characters with very little English. It’s really for people who live there. I’d skip it unless you’re feeling brave or can read Chinese.

Table: Which App is Easiest for Foreigners?

App Signing up w/ Passport English in the App? Built-in Translation Should a Tourist Use It?
Hello Bike (in Alipay) ★★★★★ ★★★★☆ ★★★★★ (Thx Alipay) YES! Start with this one.
DiDi Qingju (in DiDi) ★★★★☆ ★★★★★ ★★★★☆ Yeah, pretty good.
Meituan (in Meituan) ★★★☆☆ ★★☆☆☆ ★☆☆☆☆ Nah, it’s a pain. (For pros only)

Conclusion: So Yeah, Go Ride a Bike!

Getting the hang of Shanghai’s shared bikes is the best way to see the city. It gives you so much freedom. You’ll see so much more cool, random stuff than you would from a taxi window. You can stop whenever you want to grab a snack from a street vendor or explore a cool-looking alleyway. It’s the ultimate city adventure.

TL;DR - The Super Quick Version

  1. Get Alipay set up before you fly. Seriously. Link your card, verify your passport. Do it now. Don’t put it off.
  2. Use Hello Bike first. The blue ones. Just scan one from inside the Alipay app. It’s the easiest by far.
  3. Buy a pass. As soon as you’re registered, get a 7-day or 30-day pass. It’s a crazy good deal and saves you from thinking about money.
  4. Park in the white boxes. The “park anywhere” days are long gone. Use the app map to find a legal spot or you’ll get fined.

Have fun out there!